The “worrying level of mostly alcohol-related disorder” stretched forces’ resources on Saturday, said Mark Roberts, the head of football policing for the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which represents 44 forces across England and Wales.

“Saturday’s match was a great day for England and it’s right to celebrate it,” he said. “The vast majority of fans do that without committing criminal and anti-social behaviour. It’s incredibly disheartening to see over 300 incidents of alcohol fuelled disorder from a minority of mindless individuals.

“This is in stark contrast to the fans out in Russia, whose behaviour, apart from a couple of minor incidents, has been great.”

Among the incidents that police dealt with on Saturday were:

An ambulance was significantly damaged while parked on Borough High Street;

In Northampton, crowds caused disturbances in part of the town, resulting in road closures while officers dealt with the disorder. Two people were arrested;

At Clapham Junction, one man jumped off a double-decker bus and fell through the roof of a bus shelter;

Flares were released in a street in Leicestershire, with a road blocked by hundreds of people;

In Southampton, people blocked the roads with some climbing onto and jumping across the roofs of buses;

A taxi received extensive criminal damage in Nottingham;

Humberside saw disruption in Bridlington, Hull and Cleethorpes as people climbed on bus shelters and vehicles.

In London, the Metropolitan Police said that people should expect to see an “increased amount of officers” in Hyde Park - where 30,000 will watch the match on a big screen - and throughout the capital during the game.

“Whatever the result, emotions are bound to be high after the match and we are asking people to act responsibly and avoid any criminal behaviour. Any acts of vandalism such as damage to vehicles will be thoroughly investigated,” the force said in a statement.

“We would also ask people who are going out to watch the match to plan their journey and pre-arrange a meeting point should they become separated from each other.”

We’re working with partners and licensed premises to help fans across Greater Manchester enjoy the World Cup in good spirits and safe environments. Have a great time tonight and please enjoy the game responsibly #ENGCRO#WorldCuppic.twitter.com/L0WBjpjlx3

Other emergency services have also issued warnings. The West Midlands Ambulance Service released guidance for staying safe and also appealed for fans to behave responsibly.

On Twitter, the service said: “Ambulance staff are asking the public to ensure there’s no repeat of the scenes in London at the weekend where an ambulance vehicle was damaged. They say it could have had tragic consequences.”

In a separate tweet, paramedics urged people to drink responsibly and look out for their friends.

One said: “Don’t go out and do anything stupid that you wouldn’t do normally and behave yourself.”

With the entire country likely to come to a halt at 7.00pm tonight for the World Cup semi-final match between England and Croatia, these ambulance staff have some practical advice so you keep yourself safe and enjoy the match: pic.twitter.com/4nDBBMA7Cs

In Shrewsbury, fans are being warned to stay away from the river if they have been drinking.

The warning follows a series of deaths in the town’s section of the River Severn in recent years.

Make sure your mates are Coming Home tonight. Alcohol and open water are a fatal combination. 11 men a year die in water after drinking on a night out. So if you're out on the beer, keep your mates well clear #ItsComingHomepic.twitter.com/h4gcxWjtaN